My mouth falls open. I can’t believe he noticed. I let him put the bracelet on my wrist. “Thanks.” When I look back at him, his face is only inches from mine. I want to close the distance between us, so I lean in, my lips parting. His dark eyes gaze into mine, and he’s about to kiss me, but then his phone vibrates, making him jump.
He pulls back as if he’s been hit by lightning, and I curse whoever has texted him for ruining the moment. A frown appears on his face as he looks down at his phone. I try to catch a glimpse of the screen, but he’s tilting the phone away from me, as if he doesn’t want me to see it.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I have to go. I didn’t even notice how much time has passed.”
“Oh, no, don’t apologize. It’s my fault. I should’ve known you’d have other engagements.” We get to our feet, and I fiddle with my hands. “I didn’t want to waste your precious time on...”
“No, you didn’t.” His gaze is steady, and he offers me a big smile. “It was my pleasure to be your company today. I hope I’ll see you again.” He bites his lip, looking away. He’s said something he shouldn’t have, I guess, and I have to force myself not to grin from ear to ear.
“Yeah, me too,” I say.
He looks around, then focuses on me again. “Are you going home? I could accompany you to your car.”
I wave my hand. “You don’t have to. I’ll be fine. I left the car near that alley where we met. It’s not a long walk from here.”
“It’s okay. I’ll go with you. It’s on my way anyway.”
“Thank you.” His concern for me warms my heart. I don’t even know yet what exactly it is that I want from him, but I hope I’ll find out.
I pull into my street and park my black Audi in its spot in the garage. On my way to the elevator, I dig my phone out of my purse and dial the number of one of my father’s old friends, a former detective. It’s still not midnight, so he should be awake. He’s probably the only person I know who doesn’t mind late calls.
“Hello?” a gruff male voice says on the other end of the line.
“Hi, Mr. Prescott. It’s Lilith,” I say.
“Lilith! What a nice surprise!” The tone of his voice immediately changes into a kinder version. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I have a favor to ask you,” I say. “Something you’re very good at.”
“I’m listening.”
“I need you to track down someone for me. I know you retired, but...”
“Say no more, my dear. You know how much I love my job. Who do you want me to find?” he asks.
I smile to myself. Prescott has always lived for his job, and even after he retired, he’s still waiting for a call from one of his friends so he can do some work. Some think he’s too old to do his job properly, but he’s one of the best.
“I’ll send you the details, but there’s one thing... My father mustn’t find out about this,” I say.
“What did you get yourself into this time, young lady?”
“Nothing, really. My friend... She’s hanging out with some strange people. I just want to make sure she stays safe.” It’s easy to lie and shift the blame for this whole thing onto someone else. I wasn’t too successful in my original plan because Caleb was good at evading my questions, so I need to find out more about Caleb while I’m still able to walk away and pretend I wasn’t really trying to get him to like me or anything.
“Okay, I’ll be glad to help you. Send me what you have, and I’ll look it over.”
“Thank you. You’re amazing.”
He snorts. “I hope you’ll still think that when I hand you what I find.”
“Of course I will.” I laugh. “Bye.” I end the call, and immediately text the details to Prescott’s private number. It’s not the first time I have a job for him.
I chew on the insides of my cheek, my stomach fluttering. Maybe I shouldn’t have done this, but what’s the worst that can happen? I can find out that Caleb is not who he pretends to be and is only being nice to me because he is trying to get me to hire him again. Ah well, I wouldn’t be the first dumb, rich blonde to fall for the tricks of a beautiful man. I still don’t regret anything, though. At least my life is no longer boring.
The piercing sound of my phone rouses me from sleep and I feel around for it on my nightstand until I find it. My eyes still bleary, I squint at the overly bright screen and swipe at it.
“Yeah?” I ask, unsure who to expect on the other end because I didn’t see the caller’s ID.
“Honey, it’s me,” my mom says. “Are you still in bed?”
“Yeah, I... What’s wrong?” It’s Monday, and I’m sure my mom wouldn’t be calling me on Monday morning if it wasn’t something important.
“Do you remember Mr. Prescott? Your father’s friend?” she asks, and I sit up, suddenly wide awake.
“Yeah. What about him?” My pulse speeds up, and I want to jump out of my skin. Has Prescott told my father about what I’ve asked him to do?
“He passed away. Your dad thought you might want to attend the funeral, so...”
“What?” I nearly drop the phone. No, that isn’t possible. It can’t be. My mind is racing and I can barely form coherent thoughts. “How did he die?”
“A heart attack,” my mom says. “They found him at home last night.”
“Oh, that’s...” My relief is so strong I nearly sag back onto the bed, but my throat constricts at the thought that such a kind and nice man is gone, and my father has lost one of his dear friends. “How’s dad?”
“He’s shocked. He didn’t expect something like that. Prescott wasn’t that old and he didn’t have heart problems or any other serious health issues, but these things happen and...” My mom sighs. “You’ll be there for the funeral, right?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Good.” We say our goodbyes and I stare at the phone in my hand, tears pooling in my eyes. What if he was too upset about something he discovered? What if it is actually my fault? Caleb didn’t look dangerous to me, but Katherine said I shouldn’t be around people like him and her explanation didn’t sound quite convincing. I take a deep, shuddery breath. No, I can’t think like that. This is just a coincidence. It has to be.
“How’d your date go?” Isaac claps Caleb on the back. A smile tugs at Caleb’s lips as he sits down on the floor with Isaac and Jade, who is holding a pillow in her lap.
“Where’d you get that?” Caleb nods toward the pillow and Jade hugs it to herself.
“Sam gave it to me. Raphael said I could keep it.”
Caleb shakes his head in disapproval. Keeping things and getting attached to them is a terrible idea. As soon as Jade displeases Raphael, he’ll take the pillow away and then she’ll be sad again. That’s exactly why Raphael allows it in the first place. “You sh...”
“Who cares about the fucking pillow,” Isaac says. “Tell us about the date. I haven’t just spent hours in the dungeon so you can go out for nothing. And don’t say you don’t want to talk about it because I can see that look on your face, and I want to know everything.”
Caleb grimaces, but then he relents. Jade is allowed out from time to time, but Isaac isn’t. If it weren’t for the stories they tell each other, they would feel completely trapped... Trapped. Something about that word makes Caleb’s stomach twist and he takes a deep breath. “It wasn’t a date. It was...” He isn’t really sure how to call what he and Lilith did. “Whatever. Her name is Lilith. We...” He lowers his voice. “We went to the movies.”
“Wait, isn’t that the name of some demon?” Isaac laughs.
“What movie did you watch?” Jade’s eyes sparkle with excitement. “Was it good?”
“It was some action movie.” Caleb’s lips spread into a smile. “It was kind of fun.”
“Shh, you don’t want the horse face over there to hear you.” Isaac bobs his head toward the guard at the door, who is intently staring at the TV screen on the other side of the room.
Caleb rolls
his eyes.
“What’s she like?” Jade asks.
“Different.” It’s the first word that comes to Caleb’s mind. “She’s... I don’t think she knows about... “
“Of course she doesn’t. If she did, she wouldn’t want to parade you as her boyfriend,” Isaac says. “But she’ll find out eventually.”
Caleb frowns. He doesn’t want Lilith to find out. Ever. “She won’t. She’ll find better company and forget about me.”
Isaac punches him lightly in the shoulder. “Oh God, you like her.”
“I...”
“No, don’t even try to deny it. But didn’t she only want to fuck you? The movie was probably because she had a fantasy about a perfect date.”
“We didn’t have sex today,” Caleb says. “She only wanted company.”
Isaac gapes at him, his eyes wide. “Are you sure she’s right in the head? Or is she just that rich?”
Caleb cuts him an annoyed look. “She’s not crazy. Her boyfriend was an asshole, so I guess she has trust issues.”
“Ah, lovely.” Isaac snickers. “I don’t see how paying for dates with you is going to help her.”
“Shut up.” Jade narrows her eyes at Isaac. “I wish someone would take me out.”
“Why?” Isaac gives her an incredulous look. “So you can pretend you’re living a normal life?”
“Isaac...” Caleb says in a pleading voice.
“What?” Isaac crosses his arms. “Raphael will kill us all before he lets us go. Why pretend it’s any different?”
“Do you really think we need a reminder?” Jade presses her lips into a tight line.
“I guess not.” Isaac scratches his head, then leans forward, lowering his voice. “Does anyone have extra... um, you know?”
Jade shakes her head, and Caleb’s brow furrows.
“Why? Didn’t Raphael give you any?”
“I pissed him off.” Isaac rubs his arms. “Do you have it?”
“No.” It’s a lie, but Caleb doesn’t want to add to Isaac’s addiction. Isaac’s already taking more pills than any of them.
“Fuck.” Isaac digs his nails into his skin. “I feel like my skull is going to explode.”
“You should stop doing that to yourself,” Caleb says.
“Doing what? Telling that son of a bitch what he deserves?”
“Using up the pills too fast.”
“Why? They’re the only things keeping me alive.”
“Don’t say that.” Jade takes hold of Isaac’s arm and pulls him toward her.
“Don’t worry, Jade. You’re keeping me alive too.” He wraps her into a brotherly hug, burying his head into her dark red hair.
Jade smiles at him.
Caleb looks at his hands in his lap. Raphael would never let them have too many pills at once, but he certainly doesn’t mind the addicting effect they have and keeps providing them. Even though Caleb doesn’t know what exactly they are, he’s seen what they do to people.
Some of Raphael’s prostitutes actually agreed to work for him of their own free will just to get the pills that apparently can’t be found anywhere on the market. It’s Raphael’s special mix, and aside from dulling all the emotions and distorting reality, they also help with the sex drive.
Jade laughs about something, and Caleb’s thoughts drift off to Lilith. If she could see him now, what would she think? She’d probably never want to have anything to do with him and would be embarrassed she’d taken him to the movies with her. He should forget about her. He really should, but he doesn’t know if he can.
I’ve survived only two full weeks without contacting Alessandra and asking for Caleb. Even though I don’t really want to talk about him to anyone, his name slipped out when I was talking to Katherine and she just rolled her eyes and changed the subject.
When Alessandra confirms that Caleb has agreed to see me at my apartment, my stomach fills with butterflies. One part of me wonders if my obsession with Caleb is wrong. Things might be too awkward or complicated between us if we start a relationship, but I’m not willing to let it go just yet.
My doorbell rings. I roll my shoulders to loosen up my tense muscles, then I straighten my back, check myself in the mirror, and open the door.
Caleb smiles at me when he sees me, his dark eyes sparkling. He’s wearing a gray shirt and tight black jeans. “You called, princess?”
“Yeah.” I let him in, then lock the door. “I hope you know how to play video games.”
“What?” His mouth falls open, but he quickly collects himself and just tilts his head. “You didn’t just call me to play video games the whole night, did you?”
“Nope. I think.” I shrug, then raise my hand to point in the direction of the living room. “But I’ve set everything up, so get ready to lose.”
His gaze briefly falls on my wrist and on the bracelet that he bought me. “What makes you think I’m going to lose?”
“I don’t know. Because you want to please me?” I laugh, readjusting my ponytail.
“No way.” He shakes his head. “I won’t let you win.”
“We’ll see.” I wink at him. “I’ll get us some drinks.”
I don’t know how long we’ve been playing when I sit back on my heels and groan. “You’re too good at this!” He’s won almost every single time, no matter what type of game I chose, even my favorite racing and shooter games.
Amusement flickers in his eyes. “Oh, did you want me to lose?”
I press my lips together and shake my head in fake indignation. “You’re probably playing games all the time when you’re not working, so you’ve had time to practice. I can only play once in a while when I have some free time in between exams. And I can’t really find anyone to play with.”
Katherine and Alessandra would rather jump out of a speeding car than play video games with me, and inviting others from college into my home doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure most of them would find me childish and immature and wouldn’t like me at all, and some would pretend to enjoy it to suck up to me, which would be even more annoying.
“Oh poor you, always so busy. Do you want me to let you win this time, princess?” He grins.
“No.” I punch him lightly on the shoulder, then sigh. “I mean, yeah. Maybe just one time.”
“Okay.” He restarts the game, and I’m surprised that he actually doesn’t seem to mind. But when I win, I actually shout out in delight and throw myself into his embrace, winding my arms around his neck.
“You did it, princess,” he says. “You won.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, my lips so close to his. I bend my head and close my mouth over his. His hand travels up my body as he pulls me closer, his mouth ravaging mine. I thread my fingers through his hair, deepening the kiss. When I break away, trying to catch my breath, he kisses my neck and tugs on my pink top.
He lifts me up and lays me down on the couch, his hands exploring my body and sliding under my top, caressing my hard nipples. I plant a soft kiss on Caleb’s neck, then slide his shirt over his head and run my fingers across his hard chest. The look he gives me is filled with hunger and I help him strip off my top and pants.
As his tongue twirls around my nipple, I arch my back. I don’t even know where our clothes ended up or when he slipped on a condom, but now he’s naked above me, his hard cock brushing against my navel. I part my legs, already wet for him. But instead of penetrating me with his cock, he slips a finger inside of me and my eyes flutter and drift closed. His finger goes in and out until I’m no longer sure I can take it anymore.
Suddenly, his fingers leave me and his throbbing thickness fills me, making me gasp. His moves are urgent and swift as I hold onto him, the pleasure getting more intense with each deep thrust. I whisper his name over and over again, and when his lips meet mine, something crashes to the ground near the couch, but I couldn’t care less. All that exists in my world now is Caleb. And he’s mine. All mine.
When I’m finally able to stand, I lift myself off t
he couch. Caleb gets up too, and I realize we somehow knocked over one of the glasses that was on the small table in front of the couch, and the glass broke into a dozen pieces that are now all over the floor, and some are even on the small, round carpet. Caleb mutters a curse and I realize he stepped right into the middle of that mess.
“Wait! Don’t move!” I say as I scramble to get my clothes. “There’s glass everywhere.”
“I can clean it up.”
“No. Stay where you are.” I rush to get a broom and dustpan, then carefully scoop up all the glass from the floor around Caleb’s feet. When Caleb lifts his foot, I can see blood staining my white carpet. “Oh God, you’re hurt. Sit on the couch.”
“It’s nothing.” He doesn’t seem overly concerned, but he does as I tell him. “Sorry I ruined your carpet. I wasn’t looking.”
“I don’t care about the fucking carpet.” I rush to the kitchen and throw the glass into the trash, then head to the bathroom for some antiseptic, gauze, and some tape. Caleb’s lips part in surprise when I kneel on the floor in front of him and take hold of his injured foot.
“Really, it’s fine. You don’t...” He tries to take the antiseptic from me, but I shake my head.
“No, don’t move.” I can’t see any pieces of glass stuck in his skin, so I gently dab at the gash, wrap the gauze around his foot, and secured it with a small piece of tape. “There. All done.”
He offers me a smile, and I notice the dark circles around his eyes. One glance at the clock tells me it’s pretty late already and he must be tired. Besides, my muscles are aching too, and I can’t wait to lie down for a bit.
“Let’s go to bed,” I say.
His brow creases for a moment, but he follows me to my room. I don’t know if he expected us to have sex the whole night, but I don’t think either of us could do that right now.
As we snuggle together in my bed, I can’t help but feel like he and I belong together, no matter how weird that seems. All I know about him is that he won’t hurt me, and for now, that’s all I need. I’ve always thought that finding a connection with strangers is impossible, but now I’m not so sure. And I think Caleb likes me as much as I like him. With those thoughts, I drift off to sleep.
Hold Me Page 7
